Friendly Reminder: "Lore" is not the same as "Rules."

You're the DM, you can do whatever you want with it. Undead can be good, metallic dragons can have bad guys, Avernus has frozen over, Mystra's on vacation, *just because it's in the book's lore one way doesn't mean it's the same as RAW mechanics.* It's not a rule, it's a story setting.

This isn't saying you HAVE to change it, and there's nothing wrong with using a pre-existing setting. But if your rationale for explaining why another DM running their table can't have Drow that don't live in the Underdark is "Well in the lore they-" you're missing the point of Rule 0.

But some of the best games I've been in are the ones where things both large and small get tweaked, whether that's swapping out one god for another, or just changing the ruling structure of a "known" city like Waterdeep or Baldur's Gate.

This post brought to you by the bevy of comments elsewhere saying "You can't be this monster/creature/race because it has to be *EVIL!*" mentality is showing up again.

Tl;DR: You're telling a story with your table, don't feel like you HAVE to stay locked to WotC Lore for a continent verbatim. It's your story, do what you want with it. Oh and don't forget, Rule 0, you can tweak rules, too.